Mistakes and Consequences
by flyingfishbird
Summary: The Sequel to The Good Kid. Gibbs finds himself in a situation that he cant get out of on his own. He has to trust his team and himself in order to find a scared teenage girl that has touched so many lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Today was a special day. It was Austin's birthday, but she hadn't told anyone. She didn't even tell Gibbs. He had to find out from the letter that Shannon had written.**

"**Austin! Wake up!" Gibbs called from the kitchen.**

**Their was a loud groan from upstairs, followed be a long drawn out, "Why?"**

"**I just thought you might be hungry." Gibbs responded.**

**There was the sound of movement. Gibbs just let out a little chuckle as he saw Austin coming down the stairs, still in her pajamas that consisted of a black T-shirt and loose baggy checkered pants.**

**Austin rubbed her eyes then looked up at Gibbs. The smell of bacon and pancakes filling her nose. She smiled as she saw a stack of five pancakes and six slices of bacon resting on the table.**

**Gibbs smiled "Happy birthday." He said softly, gently kissing her forehead.**

"**Thanks Gibbs." She said simply.**

**Gibbs sighed a little as they both sat down at the table. He didn't understand why he couldn't get a 'dad' out of her.**

**Austin only had two of the five pancakes. Gibbs had the rest. She also only had two slices of bacon. She didn't eat much but she was still very healthy.**

"**Go get dressed. We are heading down to NCIS today." Gibbs informed.**

"**It's Saturday though."**

"**I know. A new marine was murdered last night. We think we got the guy who did it. I have to go in to interrogate him."**

"**Alright." Austin said with a smile as she got up and headed up the stairs. She didn't mind going to NCIS. She loved hanging out there.**

**As Gibbs drove them down to NCIS he tried to think of why Austin refused to call him dad. She had almost called him dad a couple days ago when she was distracted. She had quickly corrected herself.**

**Austin looked over at him and asked, "Are you alright?" She knew that something was bothering him.**

"**I'm fine… just thinking."**

"**About what?"**

"**About nothing important."**

"**It seems to be important to you." Austin countered.**

"**But its not important to you." Gibbs responded evenly.**

**Austin didn't say anything. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get anything out of him. He was too stubborn.**

**Once they were inside the building, Austin was bombarded by almost everyone on that floor. Most of them only wished her a happy birthday, but others had boxes covered in colorful paper with a ribbon on top. After most of the crowd boiled down, six people that actually got her something for her birthday surrounded her.**

**Ducky and Palmer got her a surgeon hat. It was more like a joke because Austin always loved to make fun of them for wearing those blue paper hats. She immediately put it on.**

**Abby got her a Seether cd. Austin had to laugh at that one. She loved when her and Abby just danced around in the lab to this cd. It was always so fun. So Abby decided to give Austin her own cd.**

**Tony got her a pair of really nice sunglasses. She put them on and everyone chuckled. Not because they looked bad, but because they suited her better than sunglasses suited Tony himself.**

**Ziva got her a bracelet which was surprising because of Ziva's tough nature. But then everyone saw the wording on the bracelet that read **_**kick-ass. **_**Everyone had to laugh, especially when Austin actually put it on.**

**Now it was McGee's turn. McGee handed Austin a flat, big box. Austin opened the box and it revealed and NCIS hat, jacket and even and NCIS T-shirt. Austin grinned. She loved it.**

**Austin hugged everyone and thanked everyone for the gifts. She put on the NCIS hat over the surgeon hat and put on the jacket. Now she was all dressed up with her sunglasses, surgeon hat, ball cap and not to mention her**_** kick-ass **_**bracelet.**

**Now it was time for the cake. Abby and Palmer had disappeared while Austin was opening the rest of her gifts and they came out of the elevator singing 'Happy Birthday" and everyone else joined in.**

**That was one of the biggest slack off days of NCIS history.**

**Two months following, Austin was hanging out with Paul. They had become best friends and now hang out almost everyday that they could.**

**Today they were in Austin's secret spot. Austin was standing in the stream barefoot. A smile on her face as she looked over at Paul, who was sitting on a rock right next to the water.**

**They always had funny conversations, but today Paul wanted to know why Austin never seemed to want to talk about her past. Today he finally got the nerve to ask, "What's your family like?"**

"**What do you mean?" Austin asked confused as she sat down next to him.**

"**I mean… how come you never talk about your family?"**

**Austin hesitated. She knew this question was coming. "Well… I don't know. My family is fine… its just…kind of a small one. That's all."**

**Paul said nothing. She knew that that meant she needed to elaborate a bit more.**

"**I only have a dad. No mom. Don't know my grandparents. Never really thought about them much."**

"**What? You mean you never thought about your grandparents ever?"**

**Austin sighed, but then she smiled a little. "I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you everything about my life. But not all in one day. If you stick around long enough, then you'll know everything about me."**

**Paul laughed a little. In the time that he knew Austin, she had always found a way to make everything a game. "Alright…fine."**

**She nodded. "Good. Well…that's enough for one night." She said standing up.**

"**Aw. Come on. You didn't tell me anything."**

"**I told you a lot." Austin laughed.**

"**Whatever…" Paul muttered.**

"**I'll see you later Pauly." Austin said walking away.**

"**See ya!" Paul called out as he headed off to his house.**

**Once Austin got home Gibbs was in the basement. She walked down the stairs and saw Gibbs sanding the boat.**

**Gibbs didn't look up from what he was doing. Austin knew something was bothering him and she was worried that it might be her.**

"**Gibbs…are you alright?"**

"**Austin…I have a question for you."**

"**What is it?"**

"**Why do you call me Gibbs?"**

"**Its your name…" Austin said confused, then she realized what he was talking about and she sighed heavily.**

"**So?" Gibbs asked, knowing she had figured it out.**

"**I'm sorry… I didn't think it mattered."**

"**Well… it doesn't really matter… but… it would just be nice… that's all."**

"**I don't know." Was Austin's only response.**

**Gibbs looked surprised. "What don't you know?"**

"**I don't know if I can."**

"**What are you talking about? I am your dad. How can it be hard?"**

"**I don't know… it just is."**

"**So you are going to go through your whole life calling me Gibbs?"**

"**I don't know… maybe."**

"**Austin. Don't be like that. That's not a good way of life."**

"**Why not?"**

"**Because. Its not supposed to be like that. That's all."**

**Austin sighed a little. "I'll try a little harder…" she says with a modest smile.**

**Gibbs knew from the smile that he was getting through to her and he let a smile escape him also. "Alright then. Now that that's out of the way, come over here and help me out with this." He says handing her a sander.**

**The next morning, both Austin and Gibbs had fallen asleep in the basement. Gibbs woke up first and chuckled a little, seeing Austin asleep in the only chair down there.**

**Austin woke up do to the laughter and looked over at Gibbs and she started to laugh herself, seeing his hair all askew. Austin stood up and stretched. "What are you laughing at?"**

"**Nothing in particular."**

"**Your not all that nice. You know that?" Austin asked with a slight laugh.**

"**I'm well aware."**

"**Good." Austin smiled. "Can I go for a quick bike ride dad?'**

**Gibbs grinned and nodded. "Go ahead. Be careful kid." He added.**

**Austin smiled and ran up the stairs. She was surprised when she looked at the clock that read only 4: 30. She yawned a little as she walked out to the garage. She got on her bike that Gibbs had gotten her for her birthday. He had said that she needed something to get all that energy out of her during the day.**

**She wore her NCIS ball cap as she rolled her bike out of the garage and out into the street. The early morning dew sticking to her black converse. She mounted on the bike and sped down the street. She loved riding her bike, especially this early in the morning because she hardly ever heard the sound of car engines. She would occasionally hear the sound of people jogging, and she would sometimes strike up a conversation with them.**

**It was always so calming in the morning because you could usually hear little birds talking to each other, and everything just wasn't as fast. You could move at any speed you liked and you wouldn't be yelled at for going too fast or too slow. It was perfect.**

**The streets were clear due to the early morning in the neighborhood, and the fact that it was Sunday. Well, the streets were mostly clear, all except for a black minivan that was behind her. For a second she thought that she was too much in the middle of the street for the car to pass, but then she realized that she was practically in the curb.**

**She got a little nervous as she sped up, and so did the car. The door flew open and Austin was suddenly off her bike. She opened her mouth to scream, but it was too late.**

**She wasn't fast enough.**


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs sprinted into the NCIS building. Tony was first to notice him. "Hey boss. Rough night?" Tony asked, noticing how frantic he seemed to be.

"Where is Austin?!" Gibbs roared.

Tony hesitated before responding. "Haven't seen her all day boss…" He said, starting to get a little worried himself.

Gibbs jogged passed Tony, over to McGee's desk. "Have you seen Austin today?" Gibbs asked quickly.

"Um… no boss. She might be down with Abby." McGee answered in a slight shaky voice, knowing Gibbs wouldn't get like this unless something was really wrong.

Gibbs cursed loudly as he ran to the elevator. Now everyone was tense. Austin had disappeared for a while before, but not long enough for Gibbs to be like this. Something was wrong. Austin _knew_ how long she could be gone for, and she wasn't one who would break a big rule like that.

Gibbs rushed into the lab. "Abby! Where's Austin?"

Abby jumped a little at Gibbs's booming voice. "Um, I don't know Gibbs. I'm sorry."

Now Gibbs was frantic. He ran down to autopsy, leaving a confused Abby behind. Ducky looked up, hearing his footsteps. "Hello Gibbs. How's Austin doing?"

"Do you know where she is?!"

"Well… no… I don't. When was the last time you saw her?"

"4:30 this morning…" Gibbs muttered softly, slumping to a sitting position on the cold ground.

Ducky looked at his watch and his jaw dropped. It was passed 10:00 now. "Jethro, maybe she just got lost. It is a new neighborhood."

"She already knows every inch of that neighborhood. She would be back by now."

Palmer walked in, seeing Gibbs sitting on the floor. He started to get a sinking feeling, knowing something wasn't right. He had already heard that Austin was missing, from Abby.

Gibbs got to his feet. "I'll see if she's back at the house…" Gibbs said, more to himself than to the two of them.

Neither Palmer nor Ducky said a word. They were both afraid for Austin.

Gibbs got to his house and walked through the front door. "Austin!" Gibbs roared from the front door. The house led on a ghostly silence. Gibbs wandered through the house, looking for any evidence of Austin being there. On the refrigerator was a note, written in blue ink. To his horror, it was not his, nor Austin's handwriting.

Gibbs got a pair of rubber gloves, knowing that this was a piece of evidence. He picked off the note from the fridge and started to read it. His hand trembling as he read every word.

_Gibbs,_

_I have your daughter. I'm not going to tell your if she's alive or not. You wont believe me either way. I know you Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And I cant wait to take your life, just like you took my brother's life. You remember him don't you? Mark James? _

Gibbs couldn't believe it. He had killed a Mark James back in the Marines. James had double crossed the team. He had to kill him, there was no choice. He had preformed an act of treason against them. Against their country. Gibbs swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat and read on.

_Now I had the chance to pay you back for the wrong you did my family. I took that chance Gibbs, and I cant wait to meet the man who ruined my family. By the way, Austin is a very pretty girl._

In the very corner of the white piece of paper, was a tiny crimson stain. Gibbs knew it was blood, but he prayed that he was wrong.

Gibbs felt like he was going to be sick. His daughter, the last chance he had been given to be as father, was now being held in God only knows where, and Gibbs couldn't do anything about it.

After putting the note in a plastic bag Gibbs rushed to his car and drove down to NCIS. Without saying a word to anyone, no matter how many questions they asked, he went down to the lab. Abby looked up at him and asked, "Did you find her Gibbs?"

Gibbs didn't respond. "Get fingerprints, hair follicles, DNA, anything you can." He said as he thrust the note in Abby's hand.

Abby's heart sank as she skimmed the letter. "Gibbs…"

"Hurry up." snapped Gibbs. It wasn't a mean tone, it was more of a… plead.

Abby complied without another word and started the seemingly endless process of gathering anything she could find.

Gibbs was distant. McGee had tracked down James's family with ease. They lived down East Avenue. Gibbs had refused to take anyone with him. He went alone. This was something he had to do alone. He had to get Austin back.

Once he got to the house he knocked on the door. An old woman answered the door. Seeing Gibbs in a suit, she got a bit nervous. "Can I help you?" She asked hesitantly.

"Fran James?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes?" She responded.

"Special agent Gibbs. I have to ask you a few questions."

"Is this about Pete? He didn't do anything wrong did he?"

Gibbs's fists were clenched tightly, but before he could say anything the woman's eyes narrowed.

"Wait… Gibbs… Leroy Jethro Gibbs? The marine who killed my Mark?"

"Yes ma'am."

"What has he done to you? What has Pete done to you? He's wanted revenge all his life. What the hell has he done to you?!" The woman seemed ashamed. Then a booming voice from inside the house was heard saying, "Who is at the door?!"

"No one Collin!" The woman called back in a surprisingly calm voice.

Gibbs glared at her. "It doesn't matter what he's done to me. All that matters is that I get some answers… Please…just tell me where your son might be."

Fran heard the urgency in his voice and sighed. "I haven't seen that boy in five years. All I know is that he has an apartment down Bridgeway Road. Apartment number…17 I think."

"You don't have anymore information that would be useful?"

"No… I'm sorry."

"Thank you for your time." Gibbs said starting to walk back to his car.

"Oh! Agent Gibbs!"

Gibbs turned a little, waiting for her to say what she needed to say.

"Whatever he has done to you…I apologize ten times over."

Gibbs just gave an appreciative nod.

Gibbs got a call in his car from Abby. She had tested the blood on the letter. It matched Austin's DNA perfectly. Gibbs let his head loll back. It had been the news that he didn't want to hear. "Abby…please…give me good news…please." Gibbs nearly begged.

Silence was the only thing that was heard through the phone. Finally, Abby let out a soft sigh. "We are going to find her Gibbs. Don't worry. We will find her, I promise."

Gibbs just sighed. "I know Abby…" The call ended and Gibbs rested his forehead on the steering wheel. Once he regained his composure he drove down to the apartments that Mrs. James had told him about.

He had called Tony and told him to come down, and to bring McGee and Ziva with him.

Once they all met up at the falling apart, old apartment building, they went inside. The elevator was out of order, so they had to use the stairs. As luck would have it, Pete's apartment was on the second floor.

They all walked to apartment 17, Ziva and Tony elbowing each other periodically. McGee was walking behind them mumbling "Would you guys quit it?" He said frustrated.

They all stopped at the apartment. They noticed Gibbs's hesitation and they all got tense. Finally Gibbs knocked on the door. After a moment of silence Gibbs shouted, "NCIS! Open up!" He slammed his palm into the door. After only more silence he kicked the door, making it fly open.

Still…silence. The uncomfortable silence. The deafening silence. The musty smell of dust covered furniture.

No movement…no sound…just…just an old apartment.

Gibbs walked in, slow and steady. His gun at arms length in front of his face. He motioned to the others how they should split up, of course it wasn't that hard, considering how cramped the apartment was.

A little over a minute later they all lowered there guns. The apartment was clear, but it sure was a wreck. Papers were scattered on the floor, law records of some sort. Books were also on the floor, most had pages ripped out of them. A computer, also lay smashed and beaten on the floor. Broken glass lay around it. It looked like a technology crime scene.

"Gibbs!" Ziva called out from the dining area.

Gibbs walked over to her. "What is it Ziva?'

Ziva just nodded towards what she was looking at.

Right there, on a coffee table, were three pictures. One was a picture of the man Gibbs had killed. Mark James. The other, was a picture of Gibbs himself. It was his marine core picture. The final picture, was one that had been taken just a few months ago. It was a picture of Austin, with everything that she had gotten for her birthday. Her surgeon hat, her sunglasses, her Seether cd in one hand, holding it out to the camera, and her NCIS T-shirt, jacket and ball cap. She was grinning in the picture.

Gibbs picked up the picture, his jaw clenched. "Gather all the evidence you can find. Tape off this area."

They did as they were told. It was at that moment that Gibbs got a phone call. Gibbs flipped open his cell phone, and in a gruff voice he asked, "Hello?"

"Hello Jethro…." said a deep voice on the other end. Gibbs knew who this was. This was Pete. This was the man who had his daughter.

"Where is she?! You give her back!" Everyone in the room stiffened, all eyes on Gibbs.

"Are you in pain Jethro?" responded the voice calmly.

"Did you hear me?! I want her back now!" Gibbs roared.

"Now Jethro, this is no way to negotiate. I would think of all people you would know that."

"This isn't a damn negotiation! I want my daughter back!"

Gibbs heard the man laugh on the other end of the line, followed by a taunting, "I think I got the point Jethro. But unfortunately, that cant be done. Well…not as simply as you think it can."

"Why not?"

"Because, you have to pay for what you did to me… and frankly, I'm tempted to put a bullet through her head right now… she has your stubbornness Jethro."

"If you hurt her, I swear I will be the one to put a bullet in your head."

More laughter then, "Would you like to speak to her?"

Gibbs was silent for a second.

"Well? Do you want to or not?"

"Put her on the line." Gibbs said quietly.

There was the sound of footsteps in the background before a small, soft voice came on the phone. "Dad?"

"Austin!" Gibbs said overjoyed to know that she was alive. "Are you alright?"

"Fine… I just have a headache… could you bring Asprin when you come? Maybe a jacket too?"

Gibbs just smiled a little. "I will…Are you cold?"

"Yeah…" Austin said. She had been trying to hide the pain in her voice. When she said headache, that was an understatement. It was also freezing where she was. She had no idea where exactly that was, but it was dark and cold.

"You'll be home soon. I promise."

"I know…" Was the last thing they said to each other before the man came back on the line.

"Times a wasting… you have twenty-four hours to find us. If you don't…" He stopped and laughed. "Well…your just going to have to find out for yourself."

Their was a click and the line went dead.

Once they were back at the station, most of the evidence was brought down to Abby. Abby didn't pause for anything. She was constantly moving down in that little lab. Studying everything twice, making sure she didn't miss anything.

Ducky and Palmer on the other hand was down in autopsy. Waiting…hoping. They had nothing to work on. No bodies to cut open, to examine. Nothing. They both hoped that that wouldn't change. They both hoped that in the next few hours, they wouldn't have a little teenage girl on one of the tables. They tried not to think about it, but when there was a friend in danger, and you knew it, there is no way you can stop thinking about it. No one could stop thinking about it.

The sun faded fast. If they didn't find Austin tomorrow at 3:15. Ducky and Palmer's fears would be one of the worst realities.


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs hadn't slept at all the night before, for obvious reasons. He had stayed at the NCIS building, looking at the evidence ten times over, hoping he would find something more.

It was now 1:00. The team only had two hours and fifteen minutes left to find Austin. That was precisely when Gibbs went down to check on Abby.

Once he got down to the lab, he was greeted by a grinning Abby. She turned to face him, and without skipping a beat, Abby started to tell Gibbs what she got.

"Alright Gibbs. You remember the note you gave me? The one Pete James wrote?"

Gibbs answered with a simple nod of the head and said, "Yeah."

"Well, I found microscopic traces of ash."

"Yeah. So?"

"I looked up the buildings that had burned down in the past week, because this suit was relatively fresh. There was only one."

"And which building would that be Abbs?"

Abby glanced at he computer screen quickly, to make sure she got the address right. She turned back to Gibbs and said, "596 Belmont Road."

Gibbs smiled at her. "I'll never be able to thank you enough Abbs."

"No problem Gibbs. Now go on! Go get our girl back!" Abby said playfully. She knew that they had won, and whoever this Pete guy was, well, he wasn't going to get out of this unscathed.

Gibbs nodded. "I intend to." he said walking out of the lab. He grabbed a bottle of Aspirin and a jacket before he gathered his team and they all walked out to the car.

Meanwhile, Austin was in the basement of this half burnt building in the middle of nowhere. No other houses were around it, there was absolutely nothing, no one to help her. There was no light coming in, nor was there heat. Secluded and cold, Austin curled up in the corner. Her clothing, face and hands covered in suit and ash. Blood had dried on the side of her head from where she had been hit. She didn't remember the incident. She didn't remember being taken, but she assumed that that was how they got her. A cheap shot to the side of the head. It still throbbed every now and again, but non too bad. She had been serious about the Aspirin though.

She had been down there for a little over a day. There was a locked door to the basement across from where Austin was. She sighed heavily as she stared up in to the darkness. Having no idea if it was night or day, let alone what time it was.

Most of all, she missed her dad. She missed having a real life, being a normal kid. She also missed Paul. Paul was the best friend she could ever ask for. The worst part was, she didn't know if she was ever going to see either one of them again.

The thought made her shudder. She had to get out of here. She knew Gibbs was coming for her. He had to be.

Gibbs was in fact on his way. Along with the rest of the team. Each of them determined to get her back. "So, does this remind you of any good movies Tony?" Asked a smug McGee.

"A few actually Probie. Like Die Hard 4, when Bruce Willis has to get his bad-ass daughter back from this guy who has a gun to her he-" Tony was cut off by a sting in the back of his head. He recognized the sting all to well. Gibbs had head-slapped him. "Sorry boss…" He mumbled.

Gibbs didn't take his eyes off the road.

Ziva laughed. "Poor Tony."

They were all fidgety with excitement. They were ready to get Austin back, unharmed. Pete had other plans…

Pete had seen the car drive up. He quickly lifted up a trapdoor that was in the main hallway and walked down the staircase. He unlocked the door, opening it slightly.

Austin looked up quickly right before a flashlight was shined directly in her face. She squinted, putting her hands in front of her eyes, trying to filter out the light. Her eyes had not adjusted, and only to make it worse, the dark figure hit a light switch that had been just outside the door. Just outside the reach of Austin.

She blinked several times, finally able to see vaguely. Then she realized that a gun was aimed at her from the man in the doorway. She jumped to her feet, her hands trembling.

The man finally spoke, "If you make any noise at all… I swear I'll shoot you."

Austin complied, slightly confused at the situation, until she heard a familiar voice.

"NCIS! Come out!" Gibbs shouted with force.

Austin smiled brightly. She was going home and she knew it.

"Down here Jethro!" Pete shouted back, which made Austin very confused. Why would he want Gibbs to find him?

By Pete's grin, Austin could tell that Gibbs was at the top of the staircase to the basement. The gun never shifted away from Austin.

"Hey Gibbs. That took you a while didn't it? I thought you would have been here sooner by the way little Austin here described you."

"Where is she James?!" Gibbs shouted, not at an angle where he could see his daughter.

"Down here Gibbs. But here's the knocker…I lied…"

Gibbs's heart sank. "What? What did you lie about?"

"You know. The part when I said that you had twenty-four hours, and if you found us by then, then I would let you have her."

"You killed her?!" Gibbs assumed rashly.

The man laughed. "No no…she's right here."

"Austin! Say something!" Gibbs shouted.

Pete intervened, "No Jethro. Your going to have to put your gun down before you can see her."

"Not a chance! Let me know she's alive, then I'll do what you say."

Pete rolled his eyes then nodded. "Go on then… say something Austin."

Austin nodded and shouted, "Hey dad! Did you bring the Aspirin?"

Gibbs sighed in relief when he heard her voice. "Yes I did! And the jacket too!"

"Thanks!" Was the last thing that was allowed to be said.

"Alright, now that that's done… Jethro…put down the gun…" Pete said again.

Gibbs put his hands up and slowly put the gun down on the first step.

"Now kick it here." Pete commanded.

Gibbs nudged the pistol over the first step of the staircase, sending it toppling down all the way to Pete.

Pete picked the gun up quickly, then glanced over at Austin. "You know Gibbs… she is a lot like you…from what I've seen anyway."

Gibbs just glared at the sick man.

Pete sighed. "Alright then…wont take my compliments… Okay Jethro…mind if I call you Jeff? It's much easier. I mean, Jethro is such a tongue tie."

"No…" Was Gibbs's only response.

"Alright, fine. Then I have a question for you Jethro. What's revenge, really?"

Gibbs just looked down at Pete, a curious look in his eye. Now what was this man going to do. He didn't answer his question, knowing it had been rhetorical anyway.

"The answer to that Jethro, is making sure that the person that did you wrong pays for what they have done. In our case, you killed my brother. Look at where we are now. I have a gun aimed at your precious daughter. My choice is… I can pull the trigger…and get the revenge I deserve… or… I can let her go. Then go to jail for the remainder of my life for doing the right thing."

Gibbs now had to say something. "Don't pull the trigger Pete… that's not the right thing to do. Revenge is never the right thing to do! No matter how angry you are. You know the eye for an eye thing? The whole world would be blind."

"Don't you say that to me Jethro! I'm not a child! I'm in charge of this situation! An eye for an eye? That's just some stupid saying! If that saying really made sense, then maybe I would take the time to believe you, but, once again, my choice. And I choose not to listen to an old man like you! I hope you enjoyed your last words with your daughter Jethro!" Pete shouted.

"Stop!" Gibbs roared, but he had also heard the same word said by a more feminine voice. It had been Austin, right before two gunshots were heard.

Gibbs watched Pete fall to the ground, already lying in a pool of blood. He wasn't breathing. Gibbs turned to see Tony, holding his pistol. He had shot Pete, but he was an awful shade of white. Gibbs noticed this and looked slightly confused.

"Boss…"

"What's the matter Tony?"

"I only pulled the trigger once…"

Gibbs's eyes widened. He sprinted down the stairs, jumping over Pete's body. To his horror, Austin was leaning against a wall, the only thing that was keeping her standing. She was clutching her stomach, blood flowing profusely through the spaces in between her fingers. Her face was a pasty white and her eyes showed fear, confusion and agony.

She slowly slumped to the ground as Gibbs ran over to her. He took off his jacket, ignoring how cold it was down there and rolled it up into a ball. He lightly touched Austin's hands. "Let me see Austin." He said in a shaky voice.

Austin removed her hands, revealing the wound. Gibbs placed his jacket on the wound, adding pressure, trying to stop the bleeding. It was bad. The hole in her abdomen was the size of a ping-pong ball. Gibbs was pretty sure the bullet was still inside her. All he could do was hope it didn't do any fatal damage to any vital organs. He couldn't lose Austin. He didn't know what he would do.

"DiNozzo! Get the car ready!" Gibbs shouted.

Tony didn't hesitate. He sprinted out to the car. McGee and Ziva the were standing outside the basement, getting ready for orders. They didn't know what had happened, but when they saw Tony as frantic as he was they all followed suit.

"Daddy…" Austin barely managed to say.

"Shh… it's going to be alright. Your going to come home really soon. Right after we get you better."

"I'm really tired…" Austin muttered.

"I know honey…but you can't sleep yet. Just hold on… please hold on a little bit longer." Gibbs tried so hard to stay calm as he picked Austin up, holding her in his arms. His clothes now dampening with blood.

Gibbs set Austin down in the back seat. He told Ziva to drive, knowing that she would get to the hospital the fastest… and the fact that since they were going to hospital anyway, if they happened to get injured during the car ride because of the driver then it would be alright.

McGee and Gibbs were sitting in the back. Austin was laying across them. Her head in Gibbs's lap. She was struggling to keep her eyes open and Gibbs knew she just wanted to sleep, because the lack of blood was making her severely tired. Gibbs also knew that if she fell asleep, she might fall into a coma.

Everyone in the car was trying to talk to Austin, trying to keep her awake. They were trying, but not succeeding. To top it all off, the bumps in the road were not making the car ride any more enjoyable. They were still five miles away from the hospital, and every passing second, the more pain Austin was in.

July 20th. The day Austin slipped into a coma.


	4. Chapter 4

**Austin was now laying in a hospital bed, a tube down her throat, helping her breath. Gauze wrapped around her head because of the nasty blow she had received over two days ago. Tests had been done, and news was ready to be distributed. A doctor came out to the waiting room, where the whole team including Abby, Ducky and Palmer were.**

**The doctor walked over to Gibbs. "Mr. Gibbs?" The doctor asked softly.**

"**Yes sir." Gibbs said standing up, shaking the doctors hand.**

**The doctor began to speak. "I'm Dr. Crosse." He said simply, letting go of Gibbs's hand. "We've done all we can do for Austin now. We have removed the bullet, which has torn through a lot of her muscle tissue. We had to remove her appendix because of the extremity of the damage. It's a miracle she's still alive. I cant imagine how much pain she endured. She must've really had something to live for."**

**Gibbs just nodded, with a slight smile.**

**Dr. Crosse sighed heavily. "She has not yet woken up from the coma. It's impossible to say when. In some cases people wake up within hours of being hospitalized, but in others…well… we wont think about that until the time comes."**

**Gibbs was stung by these words. He knew that Austin wouldn't die. She was too strong. She had been through hell most of her life. She just couldn't seem to get out of it. "How did she go into a coma from that kind of wound?"**

"**It wasn't necessarily the gunshot that caused this. The blow to the head caused a concussion, so it was basically a time bomb. When she fell asleep, the concussion wouldn't allow her to wake up."**

**Gibbs nodded slightly, understanding a little bit more.**

**Dr. Crosse continued, "Some people… are almost afraid to wake up. Therefore, they don't. Do you understand?"**

**Gibbs didn't like being asked if he understood. He wasn't an idiot, and he was in no mood to be treated like one. Before he could tell off the doctor, Abby cut in and asked, "Does it look like she will be one of those to wake up?"**

**The doctor hesitated. "Do you want it sugar-coated, or blunt?"**

"**Sugar-coated would be nice." Abby responded.**

**The doctor sighed heavily. "Well then…I've seen many cases like this. Never with children her age in such a severe case. Frankly… I think she's running out of miracles… I'm sorry." The doctor said softly, his pager started going off, making a loud, obnoxious high-pitched beep. "I'm terribly sorry… I have to go." He said walking off.**

"**He doesn't give a damn." Tony muttered angrily. He blamed himself for Austin's condition. If only he had been just a few seconds earlier... If only he had been by Gibbs's side…if only…**

"**If that was the sugar-coated…I would hate to hear the blunt." Ziva added. They all firmly agreed.**

**Abby was wiping a tear away from her face with an already soaked tissue.**

**Gibbs fell back in his chair. They all glanced over at him and what they saw astounded them. They saw something they had never seen before, and thought they would never see. It scared them… Gibbs had tears in his eyes.**

**Gibbs stood up when he realized they were all looking at him. "I'm going to the head…" He said quickly as he marched off to the bathroom.**

**It wasn't long before this story hit the news with a bang.**

_**Breaking News:**_

_**Fifteen year old Austin Gibbs fell into a coma earlier this week from a gruesome blow to the head and a gunshot wound to the abdomen after being kidnapped by a Pete James. Doctors are unsure when she will wake after this tragedy, or if she will wake at all.**_

_**Her father, Leroy Jethro Gibbs refuses to speak to reporters on the scene today. Reporters are keeping close watch on the scene for any update on Austin's condition.**_

**About an hour after that story was aired, a high school student looking boy ran into the hospital. He ran up to the front desk and practically screamed, "I need to see Austin Gibbs!" He was out of breath as he looked at the secretary, waiting her response.**

**She typed something in on the computer, and peered up at the boy, over her fake blue Rhine stone encrusted glasses. "Room 54, fourth floor. There is already about eight people in there… must be one popular girl."**

**Paul smiled and said, "Thank you. I appreciate it." He said as he sprinted off to the elevator. He pressed the up button about ten times repeatedly before the elevator actually opened. He walked inside, pressing the four repeatedly also, to get to the fourth floor. He waited impatiently, then finally ran out of the elevator. He had probably ran fifty yards before he realized, he had forgotten what room the secretary had said.**

**He sighed heavily as he ran his fingers nervously through his dark hair. He looked up, seeing a gray-haired man. He was the only person that he saw in the long hallway, so he decided it was worth a shot.**

"**Excuse me sir. Can you help me?"**

**Gibbs looked at the boy. He was almost his exact height. Paul was about two inches shorter. "Probably not… but I can try." Gibbs responded in a monotone voice.**

"**Do you know where Austin Gibbs's room is?"**

**Gibbs looked surprised. "Why?"**

"**Well, I'm a friend from her school and" Paul stopped and his eyes narrowed. "Why does it matter to you?"**

"**Are you Paul?" Gibbs asked, ignoring his question.**

**Paul hesitated "Um…yeah…"**

**Gibbs thrust out his hand for the boy to shake it. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs."**

**Paul grabbed Gibbs's hand. He had a firm handshake. Gibbs liked that. "Your Austin's dad?"**

"**Yes… I am."**

"**How is she doing?" Paul asked as they let go of each others hand.**

**Gibbs sighed. "I don't know…"**

**Paul just looked up at him. "I mean… she's… she's going to be able to go home soon…right?"**

**This time Gibbs didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Come on… I'll take you to her."**

**Paul nodded as he felt Gibbs's hand on his shoulder, leading him to the room where Austin was. Her room consisted of McGee, Tony, Abby , Ziva, Ducky, Palmer, Greg and now Gibbs and Paul. They all looked up at Paul. Each one of them greeted him like they had known each other for months. In a way, they did. Austin had told Paul everything about these people, and in return, Austin had told these people everything about Paul.**

**After the greetings were over with, Paul finally got the courage to look down at Austin. He suddenly felt sick. She didn't look like she was in pain, but everything else just didn't seem right. The tube down her throat, the bandaging, the morphine drip. Everything just… wasn't right. Austin was too strong to be like this. She was too strong to be comatose. Paul didn't understand. **

**Ducky came up and patted the boy on the back. "She will wake up soon… she will be fine. I can assure you of that my boy."**

**Weeks passed by. It was now August 26th****. Gibbs was in Austin's room. He had been surprised at Paul's persistence. He had come almost every day to visit Austin. Gibbs knew he cared about her, and he wouldn't give up on her.**

**Austin had yet to wake up. The doctors were starting to talk to Gibbs about her never waking up. They were losing hope.**

**But they didn't know this girl. This girl had lost everything three times over, but she hadn't given up. She had been beaten and bruised, but she made a point to smile everyday. That was Austin. That was Gibbs's daughter. That was one strong kid.**

**No one was giving up on Austin just yet, if ever. 'Get Well' cards were scattered throughout the room. Some of them were sent by people who didn't even know her. The news had been giving updates every now and again, and random people had decided to send these cards. Austin couldn't read them of course, but she heard them. Gibbs would read them to her, to let her know that people were pushing for her. Gibbs knew she was listening. He knew that she was trying really hard to wake up, she just wasn't sure how.**

**Paul walked in the room, setting down his book bag at the door. It was 4:35 Friday afternoon. "Hey Jethro." Paul said simply as he sat down in the chair next to him. "Anything changed?"**

**Gibbs shook his head. "No… not yet… but she's ready to wake up. Just watch. Anytime now, she's going to open her eyes."**

**Hours passed by slowly. Paul had to go home to eat dinner. Gibbs understood. This was the routine now. Him and Paul would have nice conversations to pass the time, then Paul would leave once he got a phone call from his mom, telling him to come home. **

**Gibbs had been telling the truth. He felt in his gut that Austin would wake up.**

**The doctor had taken the breathing tube out, replacing it with a breathing mask half a week earlier.**

**DiNozzo came in about an hour later. It was now 8:07. Gibbs looked up at him.**

**Tony looked over at Austin. Now he was convinced that everything was his fault, but he didn't want Gibbs to know that, thinking that he would hate him. That was the last thing that Tony wanted.**

**Tony decided to stand in the corner of the room, glancing over at Gibbs every so often. Gibbs finally asked, "Is something wrong DiNozzo?"**

"**No… nothing boss. Just worried."**

**Gibbs was obviously not satisfied by this answer. "Don't lie to me."**

"**I really am worried boss."**

**Gibbs stood up, walking over to Tony. "I know that DiNozzo! I mean, tell me what's really bugging you. Its not only the worry."**

**Tony sighed. He figured he should tell him, but right before Tony started talking, a small, exasperated voice filled the air. "Should I give you two a moment alone?"**

**Both Gibbs and Tony turned their heads. They saw Austin, eyes open, breathing mask pulled down so she could speak. She was also sitting up. The morphine was hiding most of the pain of her wounds for now, so she could actually smile.**

**Gibbs smiled and took two long strides over to his daughter. He hugged her, a sigh of sweet relief escaping him.**

**Tony didn't know what to do. He felt the guilt rise within him, but he couldn't show it. Not now. "Nice to have you back bud." Tony managed to say softly.**

**Austin smiled brightly at him, which only made him feel worse. "What's up Tony?" Austin asked.**

**Tony shrugged. "Well, I'm having a pretty good day so far. Yourself?"**

**Austin gave a weak laugh. "I've been better."**

**Gibbs patted her head. "We missed you."**

"**I missed you to dad… I'm sorry."**

**Gibbs looked into her eyes. "What are you sorry about?"**

"**For falling asleep… I didn't want to… it just happened…"**

**Gibbs just gave that little smile and said warmly, "You didn't do anything wrong. You just needed a really long nap."**

**Austin laughed a little, "When you say long, you don't mean it's been years do you?"**

**Tony smiled. "Yeah bud. You are now twenty-seven."**

**Austin stuck her tongue out at Tony.**

**Gibbs rolled his eyes. "You are definitely still a teenager…"**

**Austin smiled and nodded proudly. "So when can I go home?"**

**Gibbs answered quickly, "I'll go get a doctor, just to make sure you check out alright."**

**After Dr. Crosse checked Austin out, he walked over to Tony and Gibbs. "First of all, once the morphine is gone, she will be in severe pain. The gunshot hasn't had time to fully heal. You will need to give her painkillers often. Due to that, she will be very drowsy, so I suggest letting her sleep it off. Her head should heal up quite nicely. It looks like its pretty much healed now in fact."**

"**So we can take her home?" Tony asked eagerly.**

"**We would like to keep her overnight, just to make sure our presumption is correct."**

**Gibbs nodded. "Alright then. Thank you doctor."**

**The night passed by quickly for everyone. The rest of the team couldn't wait to see Austin. They couldn't get around to visit her while she had been awake. **

**That didn't matter right now, because Austin was coming home.**


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs went into the hospital late the next day. After he walked in the hospital he found Dr. Crosse, asking him if Austin was ready. He had said that she was doing great, and she was ready to go home. Gibbs knew that Austin would be thrilled to find this out. Gibbs walked into the room, finding her sitting on the side of the bed. She had put her normal clothes on that Gibbs had left her the other day. She was wearing jeans with a rough hole in the knees, a brown tank top with a green checkered button-up shirt over it, and a worn out pair of tennis shoes.

Austin smiled when she saw Gibbs. She had been fidgety all day, ready to go home. Being bed ridden for weeks had taken its toll. Austin stood up, a bit wobbly at first, due to the cold fact that she hadn't walked in a while. "Can we leave now? Please?" Austin pleaded.

Gibbs smiled a little. "Yeah. C'mon. Lets get out of here."

Austin grinned as she walked towards him. She had a slight limp in her right leg. Gibbs tried not to notice it. It hurt him too badly.

Once they got out to the waiting area, Austin was mobbed by a group of people. The first to greet her was Greg. He got down on one knee and hugged Austin tightly. "Are you alright?!" He said frantically. "Are you in pain? You look tired. You aren't going to go in a coma again are you?! Don't do that Austin. I don't know if I can take it this time!" Greg said, tripping over his words a few times.

Austin smiled at him and said, "I'm fine. I feel a million times better. You don't have anything to worry about Greg."

Abby was next. After Greg had let go of her, Abby grabbed onto her. "I haven't had anyone to play "Risk" with in forever!"

Austin smiled in response. "I still have Australia and North America right?"

Abby nodded, "Yup. Don't forget Russia."

"Of course! How can I forget Russia?"

Abby smiled as she let McGee have his turn.

"Hey Austin! Have you ever thought about staying out of trouble for while? I think it would be a terrific idea."

"Hm… I'll have to think about it."

McGee laughed and patted her on the head. He was pushed out of the way by Ziva, who was slightly overprotective.

"You should never ride your bike without an escort again!"

"Ziva…" Austin tried to interject.

"You should wear bullet proof vest wherever you go!"

"Ziva."

"I'll get you some pepper spray along with it. That will show that bastard a thing or two."

"Ziva!"

Ziva stopped talking and looked down at her. "Yes?"

"I'm fine. Really. I don't have to wear a bullet proof vest. What happened was just a fluke. That's all." Austin laughed.

Ziva smiled. "Alright then. If that is what you think is correct." She said as Ducky moved in.

"You are one lucky child, you know that?"

"Yup. Sure do Duck."

"I have never had a patient in all my years survive a bullet wound."

Austin was silent for a second. "But… Duck… you work in autopsy… isn't that the point?"

"You'd be surprised…"

Austin hesitated.

"In fact, back when I was just a student, there was one man who was brought in with a bullet in his shoulder. And he-"

"She doesn't need to hear that story Doc." Gibbs interrupted. He had already heard that story on multiple occasions, and he knew that it was not good for someone who had just woken up after being shot to hear.

Ducky stopped and let Palmer cut in. "You need to come down to autopsy really soon."

"Uh… thanks Palmer…"

As Palmer realized what he had said he quickly took it back and whispered in her ear, "The doctor's stories are only cool the _first_ time they are told."

Austin laughed. "Agreed."

They both loved Ducky to death, but Palmer was right in fact. The stories were only cool the first time.

Paul ran into the room, seeing the crowd of people. Then he saw Austin in the middle. He grinned and walked over to Austin, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back without a moment of hesitation. That was all that was communicated between the two. They didn't have to say anything to know what each other meant.

Now everyone was crowded around her, patting her on the back, and the top of her head. She smiled brightly, until she saw Tony. He was so distant. He was smiling of coarse… but… he hadn't said anything to her. She was severely confused. When she looked in Tony's eyes he had looked away.

After a few minutes of everyone asking the same question of, "Are you alright?" Gibbs checked Austin out of the hospital.

On the way home Austin looked over at Gibbs and asked, "Is Tony alright? He wasn't hurt at all…was he?"

Gibbs looked at her and sighed a little. He had wished that she wouldn't pick up on it. Gibbs knew exactly what was wrong with DiNozzo. "No, he didn't get hurt. He has just been anxious for you to get better. That's all."

Austin just nodded. Since Gibbs wasn't sure of the problem, she would have to go to Tony. The only problem was that she had no idea what to say to him. She hated not knowing what to say. It bothered her to no end.

Austin had been home for about a week now. She had yet to talk to Tony. It wasn't the right time. He seemed to just get more and more distant. Not towards his teammates, but towards her. He hadn't called her 'bud' since the day she woke up. He always called her 'bud!' He hardly ever called her by her name, and now, he always called her Austin. At first she didn't particularly like being called 'bud', but now it just didn't make sense to be called Austin by Tony.

Austin decided to think about something else for a while. Lately she had noticed that the house seemed empty. It needed something. She went over to Gibbs, who was sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee in the basement.

"Dad?" Austin asked innocently as she walked down the stairs.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Can we get…"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and looked over at her. "Get…what?" Gibbs asked, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Can we get a puppy?"

Gibbs moaned, and after a moment he went on to say, "Puppies chew… puppies don't use toilets, they prefer my shoes."

Austin tried to hide laughter as she said, "How'd you figure that one out?"

Gibbs looked over at her with one eyebrow raised, and a slight smirk.

"…Never mind."

Gibbs sighed. "I just don't think a puppy is a good idea."

"But a puppy is a great idea! You can take it on your runs every morning!"

"I'm not going to take a dog running with me."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to have to carry a poop bag everywhere I go."

Austin rolled her eyes. "You just cant get over the poop thing can you?"

"Nope…"

"Please dad. We need a dog."

"Dogs have teeth."

"So do I. I don't see the significance in that argument."

Gibbs sighed. "Well you have enough sense to not go around biting people. I hope…"

Austin laughed. "Well if we get it as a puppy we can train it not to kill people at a young age."

Gibbs smiled slightly. "Austin… I don't think we need a puppy. Maybe later on in life."

"Everyone needs a puppy dad!"

"No Austin." Gibbs said, getting blunt, which usually meant that he was done talking about it.

Austin sighed heavily. She let the subject drop…for now.

A few hours later they were at the station. Austin immediately walked over to Tony, who was standing next to the elevator, an open vanilla folder in his hand, reading something. Austin stopped in front of him and asked. "What's up?"

Tony looked up, then quickly looked down. "Nothing much… just doing some paper work. What about you Austin? What's up with you?"

Austin sighed, which made Tony look up. "Something wrong?" He asked quickly.

"What's wrong with you Tony? You have barely talked to me all week."

"Oh… really? I hadn't noticed…"

"Don't lie to me Tony. Tell me what's up with you."

Tony hesitated for a minute then asked, "How's the limp?" He was almost trying to change the subject.

"Fine… getting a little better. The pains starting to wear off." Austin stopped when she realized what was wrong. "Tony…" She said as she wrapped her arms around him.

He looked surprised, but he closed the folder and hugged her.

"It wasn't your fault. It was _never_ your fault. If you hadn't of shot him, he would have been able to take better aim. You saved my life Tony."

Tony gently kissed the top of her head. "Thank you bud… Thank you." The last two words came out in a modest whisper. The guilt lifted. Everyone was home.


	6. Chapter 6

Austin finally got a job down at a pet shop on the corner of Holland Street. She loved working there because she got to play with some of the animals. She especially loved the dogs. Three months ago an old bloodhound named Daisy had given birth to a litter of puppies. Austin had been working at the pet shop for about three months. She had started a day after the puppies were born, and they were finally ready to be sold.

There was one puppy in particular that they didn't expect to make it. It was the runt and it was rejected by the mother. When Austin saw the tiny struggling pup, she fell in love with it. She fed it everyday through a dropper, and she made sure that it was always warm and comfortable.

Some of the other people working in the pet shop teased her playfully, saying that the puppy was 'her baby'.

The pet shop owner had decided not to name the runt because he had thought that it wasn't going to make it anyway, but he had been wrong. After a month had gone by, the little pup was still going strong. He was even just as healthy as its siblings, maybe even more so.

Finally the pet shop owner walked up to Austin and looked over her shoulder in the little pen where all the puppies were. The thing that made the pup different, other than his size, was that his front left leg was all black.

"The runt is looking great."

Austin turned her head and smiled up at him. "Yeah, he sure is sir."

"How would you like to name him?"

"Really? Can I?" Austin said excitedly.

The man nodded. "Of course. You've earned the right. Frankly, I've never seen someone work so hard to keep an animal alive."

"Thank you sir."

"So? What would you like to name the fellow?"

Austin didn't hesitate. She blurted out the name "Timber" like she had thought about it for months, which she had.

The man chuckled. "Well, Timber it is."

"Mr. Nichols?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"How much are these pups going to go for? I mean, when they are good and ready to be sold."

Mr. Nichols hesitated. He knew exactly where this conversation was going. He almost didn't want to tell her because he was almost certain that she didn't have the money. He knew how much she was earning. He finally sighed and looked her in the eye. "They cost $850.00 each."

Austin's heart sank. "Even for the runt?"

He just nodded.

"You… wouldn't be allowed to hold Timber for me… would you? Just until I get the money?"

He sighed once again and ran his fingers through his short cropped salt and pepper hair. "I'm only allowed to hold an animal for two weeks. Then I have to put him up for sale."

Austin nodded. "I'll get the money. No worries." She says with a bright smile.

"Good girl. Now run along. Your shift is over, and I cant pay you for overtime."

"Yes sir." Austin says as she left the store after saying a quick goodbye to Timber.

She started the trek home on her bike, trying to think of how to ask Gibbs about the pup. He had said no the last time she brought up the puppy, but that was over three months ago. He had to of changed his mind by now. That was all Austin could hope for.

She walked in the door, a strong smell of some type of soup on the stove, mixed with the light smell of sawdust, originating from the basement. Austin sighed heavily as she marched down to the basement, seeing her dad sanding a rib of the boat.

Gibbs looked up at Austin and smirked. "What do you want Austin?"

"What makes you think I want something?" Austin asked trying to act surprised. She hated it when he did this. He always seemed to just…_ know_.

"You got that look in your eye. Now what is it?"

"Well… promise you wont write it off…"

"I don't like conversations that start like this…"

"Just promise? Please?"

"Alright…fine…"

Austin took a deep breath, finally uttering the words, "Can we get a puppy?"

Gibbs stopped sanding, getting a serious look in his eyes. "Didn't we talk about this already?"

"You said you wouldn't write it off just yet."

"I'm not, I just…" He paused letting out a ruffled sigh. "I just don't want a dog."

"What if I take care of it?"

"Dogs cost money."

"I have a job."

"Dogs need to take walks."

"I said I would take care of the dog. That includes feeding, bathing, walking, playing…anything. I can do it dad."

"Austin…I don't want to talk about this now."

"When will you want to talk about it? When Timber's dead and gone?" Austin bit her tongue. She hadn't meant to let Gibbs know that she already had her eye on a dog.

"God Austin! You've named the damn thing? Really?"

"I'm sorry… you let me work in a pet store… what else am I supposed to do?"

He knew that she had a point. She was a teenager. A teenager that had a heart for animals. At the same time, he had to stick with his original decision. He was too stubborn to change his mind now. "Maybe in a year or two…when I feel that you are responsible enough."

"I'm fifteen! I'm not a child anymore!"

"Austin…calm down. This is why I feel you're not responsible enough."

"How many times have I acted like this?!"

Gibbs thought for a second. She only acted this way when she was really passionate about something, or really angry. He had seen her act like this only once before. When he first met her. He decided it was best if he didn't answer the question.

"You're just trying to make up excuses…" Austin said quietly as she walked back up the stairs, up to her room. She had been starving when she had gotten home, but she wasn't hungry anymore. She had wanted a dog ever since she was little, like most kids, but this wasn't just wanting a dog. What she had was a _need_ for a dog.

Two weeks came and went. Timber was now in plain sight for the world to see. It broke everyone's heart whenever they saw Austin steal glances over at the pen where Timber was. She thought that no one noticed, but she was wrong.

She was sweeping up animal fur off the ground, going through the motions of everyday. Everyone thought that she was too busy sulking to talk, but this time, they were wrong. She was thinking. She had $850.00 in her pocket, and whenever she saw someone eyeing her Timber, she would walk over and say that the pup had a temper problem. That always sent them running.

No one noticed that she did that. At the end of the day Austin walked over to Mr. Nichols. "You said that the pup was $850.00 right?"

"I believe so… that includes a bag of puppy food and a chew toy."

Austin smiled as she dug in her pocket, pulling out the wad of money. They were all 20 dollar bills.

Austin snuck inside her own house that day, her book bag on her back, slightly unzipped. Usually her dad was in the basement working on the boat, but today to her disadvantage he was in the kitchen. To make it worse, Austin recognized the brilliant smell of her favorite foods. Chicken tenders, fries and macaroni and cheese.

Gibbs smiled at Austin as she walked in. "Hey kid. I'm making your favorites."

"What's the occasion?" Austin asked nervously.

"No occasion. I just wanted to make up for being so rash about the dog."

"So your saying you want the dog?"

Gibbs sighed. "No. That's not what this means. I just want to make sure that your alright. You've seemed a bit down for the past two weeks."

Austin ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "I'm fine. Really."

"Well, you've been working hard. So, this is my way of-"

Gibbs was cut off by a sharp, piercing yelp. Gibbs looked angry. "Austin?!"

"I…I hiccupped."

Gibbs's eyes narrowed. "Austin…don't lie to me."

Austin sighed heavily as she shrugged off her book bag. She unzipped it the rest of the way. A red bundle of fur leaped out and started running around the kitchen area.

"Before you say anything-" Austin tried to say, but Gibbs interrupted her.

"You disobeyed me!"

"Don't be like that…"

"Be like what Austin?! You tell me how I am supposed to act in this situation."

Austin wanted to crawl under a rock. "Dad… I didn't mean to upset you."

Gibbs sighed heavily. "Austin. Why?"

"Well…you weren't seeing things my way."

"You aren't making a very good argument."

"I've wanted a dog all my life! I've been told no all my life! I'm sorry I disobeyed you! But you weren't giving me a choice."

"Don't apologize."

Austin looked confused. "What?"

"Don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness."

Austin didn't say anything. She just looked at Timber, knowing she had to take him back.

Gibbs sighed. "What's his name?"

Austin's head jerked up, staring at Gibbs. Finally she was able to find the name. "It's Timber."

Gibbs nodded. "Timber."

Timber looked up at Gibbs, recognizing his name in a heartbeat. He barked happily.

"So I can keep him?"

Gibbs walked over to Austin, hugging her, which surprised Austin in a way. Then she felt a sudden sting in the back of her head. "Do not disobey me again. Next time I wont be so easy on you. Now give me your phone."

Austin smiled. "Fair enough." She said handing him her phone.

That was Austin's first punishment from Leroy Jethro Gibbs.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the day before Thanksgiving and Austin was bouncing off the walls. Gibbs realized he had to get her out of the house before she broke something. He gave her some money to go down to the store to buy a nice turkey. He knew that she would pick the biggest one, but he also knew that their couldn't be that many big turkeys left this close to Thanksgiving Day.

Gibbs was wrong. When he saw Austin come through the door with the turkey the size of Timber, who was now four months old, he sighed heavily. "Oh, no."

"I got the best turkey they had dad!" Austin said happily.

"How did you get it through the door?"

"How did you get the boat out of the basement?"

"…Good work."

Austin smiled and set the turkey down on the counter.

Gibbs knew that this turkey would take fifteen forever's to cook, and it still may not be done. That didn't matter right now. He patted his daughter on the back, thankful for having her, even when she screwed up.

That night, Austin was in her room, looking down at a picture of Shannon and Kelly that she had taken from Gibbs's room. Gibbs had caught her doing this a few times but didn't mind, just as long as nothing happened to it.

Timber was laying next to her, his head in her lap. She patted his head and muttered, "Why did I make it?"

Timber whimpered, sensing that Austin's discomfort. He nudged her elbow with his cold wet nose. That made Austin smile, and Timber barked triumphantly.

"You're a good boy."

The next day, Austin was up just as Gibbs was going out for one of his runs. Once Gibbs was gone she started making calls. One was to McGee, another to Ziva, then Tony, Palmer, Ducky and then Abby. She invited them all to come over for Thanksgiving dinner. They all accepted gratefully.

Many, many hours later the turkey was almost done. Gibbs sighed heavily. He had put a lot of work into this turkey. As he was working on the turkey, Austin was working on everything else, which seemed to only be made of starches.

Mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. She wasn't happy to hear that green beans and asparagus were on the menu.

Then the doorbell rang. Gibbs looked down at Austin with a confused look. Who would be here on Thanksgiving day so close to dinner?

Austin just smiled at Gibbs and he rolled his eyes as he got up, walking to the door. When he opened it, the whole group came flooding in. Abby, with stuffing. McGee, with green bean casserole, knowing Austin needed vegetables. Tony, with a cake for desert. Then came Ziva with purple goop that Austin presumed to be jello. She wasn't quite sure. Palmer came with homemade chocolate pudding. Then came Ducky with a green questionable substance. Austin didn't even try to classify it.

Everyone started talking to one another happily. Everyone was smiling, even Austin, who was now being scolded by Gibbs somewhat playfully on the fact that he had no idea that they were going to have company. Gibbs just couldn't get mad at this kid.

After everyone was done mingling, they crowded around the dining room table. They had to find a few extra chairs around the house, but they made due pretty well.

Gibbs brought out the turkey, and Abby was first to comment.

"It's an elephant!"

"No, it's a prehistoric tyrannosaurus rex!" Palmer said chuckling.

"You're both wrong." Tony cut in. "It is a mutated yummy piece of awesome turkey."

Everyone laughed, Gibbs even cracked a smile.

They all passed around their plates to places with food that they could not reach. They usually got the plates back with nothing tampered with. That was until Tony got a hold of McGee's plate. When McGee wasn't looking he slipped a plastic bug into his mashed potatoes. Where he got the bug? No one will ever know.

When McGee got his plate back, he sifted through his potatoes quickly to make sure Tony didn't do anything. Tony had put the bug all the way on the bottom, exactly where McGee didn't look.

Everyone started to eat. Austin had a pile of food on her plate. She tried a little bit of what everyone made, including the green bean casserole which she wasn't excited about.

Timber was sitting next to Austin, begging for food. Gibbs looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, knowing the reason the dog was begging was because Austin always gave him food.

Austin looked over at Gibbs and smiled innocently. She had gently nudged a green bean off of her plate and it tumbled to the floor. She had tried to make it look like an accident. Timber leaped at it, chopping away at the little defenseless vegetable.

"Don't think I didn't see that." Gibbs said with a smirk.

"You saw nothing." Austin retorted sarcastically.

"Course not."

"Do you not like my green bean casserole?" McGee jumped in.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that… it's green… and Timber loves it! Who am I to deprive such a good dog of something that he loves?"

Timber let out a bark of agreement, and wagged his tail.

McGee chuckled as he scooped up a big bite of mashed potatoes. He chewed just a little until his teeth hit something hard. He looked confused as he stuck his finger in his mouth, digging out the plastic bug. As he examined what had been in his mouth he let out a shrill scream, throwing the little toy bug across the table.

Tony was almost in tears as he leaned back in his chair, unable to hold in the hilarity of the moment.

Everyone looked confused until Abby picked up the toy and looked up at McGee.

"Can I keep it McGee?" She asked innocently.

McGee looked bewildered for a moment, then slowly nodded. Once he realized who was responsible he glared at Tony, who was still laughing.

Austin joined in the laughter, and soon everyone was laughing, even McGee.

Now Austin had to try the green questionable goop that Ducky brought. She scraped some up on her fork, hesitated, then popped it in her mouth.

She rolled it around with her tongue for a few moments, then a small smile broke out on her face. She loved it!

Austin looked up at Ducky and asked, "What is this stuff."

Ducky looked over at Gibbs, and they both gave each other a knowing smile. "Would you like me to tell her Jethro?"

"Go ahead." Gibbs said simply.

"It's my mother's secret recipe for mixed mashed vegetables."

Austin gawked. "No way."

"A Scotsman never lies."

"It's amazing!"

"Thank my mother. If I hadn't of been like you, this recipe would have never been created."

"You didn't like vegetables?"

"I despise vegetables. This is the only way that I can eat them."

Austin smiled brightly and took another big bite of the mixed mashed veggies.

Ducky had to leave right after dinner. He hadn't eaten much because he had to share another Thanksgiving dinner with his mother. Palmer also had to leave, he had to spend time with his family. Everyone said their goodbyes to them.

Soon after, everyone had to leave. It was getting a little late anyway. Thanksgiving had been a success, and of course they still had a lot of turkey left over. While Gibbs was putting plastic wrap over the rest of the food and putting it in the refrigerator, he noticed a look of thought on Austin's face.

Austin had a lot weighing on her mind. Gibbs finally asked, "Are you alright?"

Austin looked up and nodded. "Yeah… I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Anything in particular?"

Austin didn't really say anything.

Gibbs knew something was bothering her, but the also knew that she would tell him in due time.


	8. Chapter 8

It was report card day. Austin knew this wouldn't be good. She sighed as the end of the day came around, preparing for that little slip of paper to come around that would determine her fate.

Her name was finally called and she stood up and walked up to her teacher, who had a disappointed look in her eyes. Austin took the paper, avoiding that terrible look. That teacher always knew how to make her feel like an idiot. Finally, she gained the courage to look at the bleak yellowish paper in front of her.

It read:

Science C+

Technology A+

Spanish D-

Reading A+

Math C-

Music B+

History D-

Gym A+

Austin sighed heavily at the nearly failing grades. She hated her history teacher, as well as her Spanish teacher. It wasn't her fault. They were out to get her from the very beginning. Well, that was what Austin thought anyway.

She laid her head down on the desk. The bell rang and she hesitated, reluctant to move. She finally stood up, folding the paper four times before crumpling it in her small pocket. She walked out of the class and met up with Paul in the hallway. He grinned at her, obviously overjoyed with his own grades.

"Well?" Paul asked curiously.

Austin shrugged.

"Not good huh?"

"Nope…"

"Mind if I see?"

Austin handed him the now crumpled piece of paper, letting him read it over. He sighed as he looked over at his friend.

"Austin, what's up? I know you can do history. I also know that I can help you with math. Your science grade is getting better…"

Austin noticed the way he avoided the Spanish grade. He was taking Latin, in an effort to get as far away from Spanish as humanly possible. That made her chuckle a little despite herself. "What about you Paul?"

Paul sighed and gave her his report card. It was all A's as usual. Paul was always super smart.

"That's great Paul!" Austin exclaimed sincerely. She always loved when Paul did good, even when he was pretty much perfect.

Paul smiled a little. "Thank you. You know that you are going to get in so much trouble right?"

"Yeah… I know."

Ten minutes later, Austin was getting in her dad's car. The report card had been placed back in her snug pocket. She hoped that her dad didn't know that report cards were today. She didn't want to disappoint him.

Her wishes were not answered as her dad looked over at her.

"So… I hear that you got report cards today?"

Austin held her breath as she dug the paper out of her pocket, handing it to the worried man in the drivers seat.

Gibbs unfolded the report card and let out an exasperated sigh.

"You told me that you were doing fine in Spanish, and History."

"An easy mistake?" Austin said quietly.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Austin. This sucks."

"Way to be blunt…"

"What else do you expect me to do? I've tried being calm and look where that's gotten you."

"Did you happen to see the A's and B's?"

"Yes, and I'm happy about them, but I cant say I am happy about the D's."

"I really am trying…"

"I know you are. I also know that you daydream a little too much."

"How do you know that?"

"Someone only has to know you for ten minutes to realize you are that kind of kid." Gibbs said in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Good point."

"Pay attention… focus."

"Why cant the teachers make class fun?"

"Because its high school."

They left it at that for the day. Gibbs was going to get really strict about grades this year. At the same time he felt sorry for Austin. It wasn't entirely her fault. She had grown up in a dysfunctional home most of her life, and that thought tore Gibbs apart.

Once they got home, Austin ran inside after Gibbs to be greeted by Timber. His powerful tail hit a vase on his way over to Austin.

"Timber!" Austin yelled as she watched the vase teeter on the coffee table. The vase started its cruel decent. An inch before it hit the ground, Gibbs caught it. He looked at Austin, then at Timber with a raised eyebrow. Timber just barked, his tail wagging happily.

Austin laughed nervously and patted Timber's head.

That night, Austin was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She did this almost every night. She thought about Kelly, and Shannon. She wondered what they were like, and what they would be like now. She didn't want to ask Gibbs, afraid that it would hurt him. That was the last thing that she wanted to do.

She tried to push the painful thoughts from her mind for now. She saved them for another day.

Three months came and went in the blink of an eye. Austin was in the lunchroom, talking to Paul. He seemed to be upset about something, but it was obvious he was trying to hide it as best as he could.

Austin finally asked, "Everyone all right Paul?"

Paul looked up, he had been concentrating intently on whatever was making him this way. He sighed, "Yeah. I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about."

"I'm worried…" Austin contradicted.

Paul looked into Austin's perfect blue eyes. She was sincere when she said she was worried. She was sincere about everything. He couldn't help but give a little smile. "Austin, you're great. I'm grateful that you're my friend. But… I have to deal with this problem on my own."

"Not even a hint?"

Paul shook his head. "Maybe some other time."

"Promise…"

"Pinkie promise."

"Oh, even better." Austin said smiling.

They held out their hands, both balled into fists except for the pinkie finger. They interlocked pinkies and the deed was done.

A week passed. It was March 21st. Austin got up and got ready for school. About five minutes before she was supposed to go the phone rang. Gibbs answered it with an impatient "Hello?"

All Austin heard was mumbling on the other end of the line. She couldn't make out the words. After a few minutes of mumbling, Austin saw Gibbs glance over at her, a look of remorse in his eyes. That scared Austin.

Gibbs hung up the phone and looked at her. "Greg… Greg died. He had a massive heart attack and the doctors couldn't revive him. I'm sorry."

Austin didn't know what to do. She felt numb. Greg was the man that had been her father for years. Greg was her best friend. He couldn't be dead. It was impossible. Austin was tense as she looked Gibbs in the eyes. Gibbs knew how she felt, and why she wasn't crying, why she seemed so calm. That's how he felt when he was told Shannon and Kelly were gone.

"You don't have to go to school today… if you don't want to."

Austin didn't go to school for four days.

On the fourth day, which was a Friday, Austin was hanging out with Timber at the stream. She heard rustling in the brush and looked around, seeing Paul's face emerge from the overgrown bushes and trees all around. Now it was Paul's turn to be worried. Timber greeted Paul by licking his hand and jumping up on him. Paul smiled as the dog jumped down and started chasing his tail.

"Your dad told me what happened."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… how are you holding up?"

"Just fine…"

"Then why aren't you smiling?"

"I'm sorry if I don't feel like smiling after a friend dying." Austin snapped.

"Calm down. I'm just worried… that's all."

Austin sighed. "I'm sorry Paul."

Paul looked at Austin who was turned away from him. For a moment he thought he saw her cheek glistening. He was right. She had been crying.

"Austin. It's okay to cry."

"I know that."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"Then why aren't you? In front of me?"

Austin didn't respond. Instead, she sat down next to the stream, watching the water flow.

Paul sat down next to her. "I understand how you must feel… although that kind of thing hasn't happened to me. Austin… I want you to be happy."

"What makes you think I'm not happy?"

Paul just gave her a look.

"All right… point taken."

"I know you're hurting. Let me help you."

"How?"

"By giving you a shoulder to cry on."

Tears escaped Austin's eyes, she shut them tightly, trying to forbid any others to fall. Tears just kept steadily coming. Paul knew this was the first time Austin really cried for Greg.

"I miss him…" She said, the words being choked out of her.

Paul shifted, now he was on one knee in front of her, the tip of his back foot was forced into the cold stream. He didn't care. He reached out his left hand, touching Austin's cheek with a soft, gentle touch.

Austin leaned her cheek into his palm as Paul wiped away her tears. "I'm here Austin. I'm right here. Even when I'm miles away, you wont be alone. The same goes for Greg. You will _never_ be alone."

Austin forced her eyes open, looking into Paul's green eyes. She felt something that she had never felt before. Was she really falling for Paul?

Paul saw this and quickly withdrew his hand. He loved Austin, but he had news. The news he had pinkie promised he would tell her. He had a lump in his throat. He didn't _want_ to tell her. But this was his last chance. He _had_ to tell her.

"Austin… I'm moving… to Tennessee. Tomorrow."

Austin's heart shattered. She looked into his eyes. "Why?"

"My dad got a job down there…"

Austin was speechless. "That's… that's great. I'm happy for you." She forced the words out as best she could. It was the first time she was not sincere.

Paul just gave a half smile. "You're such a liar."

Austin smiled slightly. "You'll visit…right?" Austin asked, swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat.

"Whenever I can. I'll miss you Austin."

"Don't say that. You're going to meet a girl just like me in Tennessee. Except she's going to be ten times better, and with a southern accent."

Paul chuckled. "There is no other girl like you. Besides, even if there was, you're the best Austin anyone could ever meet."

Paul left the next day. It was Saturday morning, raining hard despite the rest of the week being beautiful. Austin was there to see Paul off. She had gotten him a gift. When she showed Paul a tan cowboy hat and a gun holster Paul was nearly in tears with laughter.

"Guns sold separately." Austin had said as Paul took the gifts. He put the items in the car, not trusting the moving van to take them. Paul and Austin embraced one last time before he climbed into the car, off to Tennessee.

Austin felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Gibbs with an arm wrapped around her.

"You'll see that kid again."

"I thought the expression was 'friends come and go, but family is forever.'"

Gibbs smirked. "Well, yeah. But whoever made that quote didn't meet you and Paul. They can separate you guys, but in the end… that kind of friendship never leaves."

Austin smiled. She watched the car fade away, but right before it made the turn out of sight, Austin saw a window in the back seat of the car being rolled down. A head, along with a hand stuck out of it. Paul was waving at Austin, and she heard him yell, "I pinkie promise! I'll come back!"

Austin was grinning as she waved back. "I'm holding you to it!" She yelled back. Then the car made the turn. Paul was gone… for now.

It was at that moment, when her friend made the final turn out of sight, that she decided that she was going to make something of her life. The moment when she decided that she was going to be someone important. Someone that others look up to.

The moment when she decided she was going to be a Marine.

A/N- Next book sequel type thingy "Always Faithful"


End file.
